By Cliff Rold

24-year old Bantamweight Alejandro Hernandez (24-7-2, 13 KO) has come up short in two previous title tries but he picked up his second straight victory on the road to finding out whether the third time could be a charm Friday night at the Jose Cuervo Salon in Polanco, Distrito Federal, Mexico, stopping 25-year old Jesus Ceja (13-7-1, 8 KO) in seven rounds.  Hernandez, of Mexico City, and Ceja, of Guadalajara, both came in at the division limit of 118 lbs.   

The nervous energy of Ceja was in stark contrast to the deliberate approach of Hernandez in round one.  Slightly shorter, Hernandez stalked his man, ripping with right hands as the moving Ceja let his back touch the ropes and firing with left hooks closer to ring center.

Hernandez remained the aggressor in round two and impressively countered a pressuring Ceja off the ropes in the third.  Settled down, Ceja fought flat footed into the fourth where each man took turns coming forward, Hernandez sharp with leads rights and left hooks while muffling the best rights of Ceja.

Unable to keep Hernandez off of him, Ceja upped his output in the fifth, slinging his right hand in an attempt to get around the tight guard of Hernandez.  Ceja barely kept his man honest, finding himself turned into well timed assaults seemingly at will.

Hernandez moved more in the sixth, taking his time and reserving himself for what would be a closing flourish.  Playing the counter puncher, he clipped Ceja with a short left early in the seventh and bided his time before maneuvering himself off the ropes and Ceja onto them.  Opening up with both hands, Hernandez went to work, hurting Ceja and pursuing him across the ring with stream of accurate leather.  Ceja leaned forward, swinging and attempting to smother the assault and taking a beating for his trouble.

His posture softening progressively, three flush rights could be seen to land amidst a barrage, Ceja laying into the ropes to survive.  The referee had seen enough and halted the action at 1:48 of the seventh without Ceja being forced to take a trip to the floor.

Hernandez entered the contest rated 15th by the WBA and 13th by the WBO at Bantamweight.

Also televised, a spirited eight rounds were contested without a winner in an all-Mexican Jr. Flyweight battle.  20-year old Ulises Lara (11-3-2, 5 KO), 107, and 19-year old Luis Ceja (18-1-3, 14 KO), 107, went at each other full tilt from bell to bell, the final scores a reflection of their efforts, Lara ahead 77-75 on one card with two other judges all locked up at 76-76.  The fighters showed respect for one another at the decision, smiling and embracing with sportsmanship.        

The card was broadcast in the U.S. on Telemundo, promoted by All Star Boxing. 

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com